Collapsible box for berries, &amp;c.



0. G. PENLASON. GOLLAPSIBLE BOX FOR BERRIES, 6w.

APPLIOATION FILBD'OOT. 25,1907.

Patented Feb; 9, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

wi hweoow I an J nu: NuRRIs psrsn's 120.. wqsnmamrv o c 0. 0. FENLASON.GOLLAPSIBLB BOX FOR BERRIES, 6w.

APPLICATION FILED 00'1'. 25,1907.

Patented Feb, 9, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ORIN G. FENLASON, OF HOQUIAM, WASHINGTON.

GOLLAPSIBLE BOX FOR BERRIES, 850.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 25, 1907.

Patented Feb. 9, 1909.

Serial No. 399,133.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORIN C. FENLAsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hoquiam, in the county of Chehalis and State of WVashington,haveinvented a new and useful Collapsible Box for Berries, &c., of whichthe following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in collapsible boxes for berries,fruit, etc.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofcollapsible boxes for berries, fruit, etc., and to provide a simple andefficient collapsible veneer box, adapted to be rapidly and cheaplyconstructed by automatic machinery.

A further object of the invention is to provide a veneer box of thischaracter in which the grain of the wood in the attaching portions willrun in the same direction, so that the Wood will be free to swell orshrink uniformly, whereby splitting and buckling of the layers orthicknesses of the veneer will be effectually prevented While drying theboxes after manufacture, and when the boxes are subjected to themoisture of the berries or fruit incident to their use.

It is also the object of the invention to provide a veneer box adaptedto be shipped at lower freight rates than heretofore.

l/Vith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claimshereto appended it being understood that various changes in the form,proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope ofthe claims, may be resorted to with out departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a collapsibleveneer berry box, constructed in accordance with this invention andhaving a body consisting of a single sheet or strip of veneer. Fig. 2 isa horizontal sectional view, taken substantially on the line 22 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the body of the box, showing thesame partially collapsed. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of theseparate detachable bottom and its supporting means. Fig. 5 is asectional view, the detachable bottom being folded. Fig. 6 is a similarview of the removable top. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of aveneer box, illustrating a modification of the invention, the body beingcomposed of two sheets or strips of veneer for increasing the capacityof the box. Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view of the same. Fig. 9 isa detail perspective view of the separate detachable bottom. Fig. 10 isa perspective view of a veneer box, illustrating another form of theinvention. Fig. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 12is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 13 is a detail perspective view ofone of the bottom supports. Fig. 14 is a detail view of one end of thethick bottom.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

The box is provided with a collapsible body portion 1, constructed of asingle sheet or strip of veneer of suflicient length to form walls orsides of two plies or thicknesses, and secured together at the ends bystaples 2, or other suitable means. The ends of the strip areoverlapped, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the overlappedortions being pierced by the sides or legs of the staples 2. The scoringof the veneer at the corners of the box enables the body to collapse, asillustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, in which the sides are shownslightly separated for convenience of illustration. In practice the bodywill be folded perfectly fiat for shipping and storing, as Will bereadily understood. By constructing the body of the box with Walls orsides of two thicknesses or plies of veneer, the veneer may be cutexceedingly thin and poorer qualities of veneer, which now have to bediscarded, may be advantageously employed in the construction of boxes.For instance, if a strip or sheet of veneer should be knotty, whichwould ordinarily cause the strip or sheet to be culled out, such a stripin the present construction of box may be employed because when thestrip is arranged to form the two plies or thicknesses, the knot or knotholes of one ply would probably be covered by the other ply. Anotheradvantage of this construction of body is that the grain of the wood ofevery portion of the body runs in the same direction, and the veneer isfree toshrink or swell without splitting or buckling.

Owing to the particular construction of the rectangular body, it may bemade on a round form instead of the rectangular form heretofore employedin the construction of rectangular boxes, which is a great advantage.Also the construction of the body by this method effects a great savingof wire, as considerably less staples are employed.

The box is equipped with a removable bottom 3, provided with upwardlyextending sides or hanger portions 4, having bodyengaging portions orflaps 5 at their ends. The bottom 3, supporting portions 4 and flaps 5are constructed of a single strip or piece of veneer scoredtransversely. The bottom 3 fits within and conforms to the configurationof the body and prevents the same from collapsing when in use. Theflaps, which are tapered or triangular, are inserted between the twoplies or thicknesses of opposite sides or walls of the body of the box,whereby the supporting portions or hangers of the bottom are detachablyinterlocked with the body at the upper edges thereof. The veneer isprovided with two rows of scorings 6 at the flaps 5 to permit the latterto bend or fold smoothly over the upper edges of the inner ply orthickness of the sides or Walls with which the supporting portions ofthe bottom are engaged. The hanger or supporting portions 4 of thebottom may be of any desired length to arrange the bottom at the properelevation, but the bottom is preferably located a short distance abovethe lower edges of the body of the box to prevent the berries, fruit, orother contents of the box from being bruised, when the box is placedupon a supporting surface. The detachable bottom is foldable flat, asillustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and when it is unfolded andapplied to the body, there is no liability of the bottom beingincorrectly placed within the body and thereby affecting the capacity ofthe box. The box is also provided with a removable cover 7, constructedwith a single piece or strip of veneer, and having oppositebody-engaging portions or flaps 8. The strip of veneer is transverselyscored to form the flaps, which are tapered or triangular to enable themto be readily inserted between the plies or thicknesses of the body. Theflaps or engaging portions 8 of the to or cover 7 are preferably engagedwith the ody at the points where the flaps of the bottom are inserted,as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The flaps orbody-engaging portions of the top are foldable compactly against thesame, and in practice the tops and the bottoms of the boxes will bepacked and shipped separately from the bodies of the boxes, as this willresult in a considerable saving in the freight.

The collapsible body, which is single, can

be shipped in separate cars, taking the standard manufacturers rate,while the bottoms and the tops can be shipped infull cars, taking theregular box shuck rate, which is much lower than the rate on materialmade up or fastened together with wire staples.

In manufacturing the body of the box, the operator handles but a singlepiece of veneer, which is a great advantage over those constructionsemploying several pieces of veneer in the construction of the body.

Referring to Figs. 7, 8 and 9, when it is desired to construct veneerboxes of greater capacity than a berry box, two strips or sheets 9 and10 may be employed, one strip or layer forming the inner ply orthickness of the walls and the other strip forming the outer ply orthickness. In order to prevent the plies or thicknesses from bulgingowing to their increased length, they are secured together byintermediate staples 11., or other suitable fastening devices, and thedetachable bottoms 12 are provided at the upper edges of each of thesides or hanger portions 13 with a pair of tapering or triangular flapsor engaging portions 14, adapted to straddle the staples 11. Theremovable top 15 is also provided with triangular flaps or engagingportions 16, arranged in pairs and adapted to straddle the staples 11.The detachable bottom 12 and top 15 are constructed substantially thesame as the bottom 3 and the top 7 heretofore described with theexception of the provision of the pairs of flaps 14.

In Fig. 12 is illustrated another modification of the invention in whicha double bottom or reinforced bottom is employed. The body 17, which iscollapsible, is constructed of a single sheet or strip of veneer, and isscored to form tapered end portions 18. A thick bottom 19 consisting ofa relatively thick piece of board and tapered at its ends to conform tothe configuration of the body is fitted within the same, and issupported by a veneer bottom piece 20 of the width of the intermediateportions 22 of the ends of the body. The veneer bottom or bottom piece20, which consists of a single strip of veneer, is provided withterminal hangers or supports 23, having flaps or body engaging portions24, which are inserted between the plies or thicknesses of the centralportions of the ends of the body. The strip of veneer is scored at theends of the bottom or bottom piece 20, and is provided with double rows25 of scoring at the top of the supports or hangers 23 to enable theflaps to bend or fold over the upper edges of the inner ply or thicknessof veneer of the body.

The box shown in Figs. 10 to 14 inclusive may, of course, be providedwith a top, conforming to the configuration of the box and havingbody-engaging portions or flaps.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A collapsible or knock-down veneer box comprising a veneer bodyhaving walls composed of two plies or thicknesses, a separate bottom,and supporting means therefor provided with body-engaging portionsinserted between the plies or thicknesses of veneer at the upper edgesof the body.

2. A collapsible or knock-down veneer box compris'mg a veneer bodyhaving walls composed of a plurality of thicknesses of veneer, said bodybeing scored at the corners to permit the body to collapse or foldinwardly, a separate bottom, and supporting means therefor provided withbody-engaging portions extending between the plies or thicknesses of theveneer.

3. A collapsible or knock-down veneer box comprising a body consistingof a single strip or sheet of veneer scored transversely at the cornersof. the box and forming walls having a plurality of plies orthicknesses, a separate detachable bottom, and supporting means thereforprovided with body-engaging portions inserted between the plies orthicknesses of the veneer.

4. A collapsible or knock-down veneer box comprising a collapsible bodyhaving walls composed of two plies or thicknesses of veneer, and aseparate detachable bottom provided with opposite hanger or supportingportions formed integral with the bottom and extending upwardlytherefrom, said hanger or supporting portions being provided at the topwith flaps or engaging portions inserted between the said plies orthicknesses of the veneer.

5. A collapsible or knock-down veneer box comprising a collapsible bodyhaving walls composed of two plies or thicknesses of veneer, and aioldable bottom consisting of a strip of veneer and provided withsupporting portions orhangers having body-engaging portions or flapsdetachably inserted between the lies or thicknesses of the body.

6. A col apsible or knock-down veneer box comprising a collapsible bodyhaving walls composed oi two lies or thicknesses of veneer, and a foldabe bottom consisting of a strip of veneer scored transversely to formhanger portions and having its terminals inserted between the plies orthicknesses of the veneer of the body.

7. A collapsible or knock-down veneer box comprising a collapsible bodyhaving walls composed of two plies or thicknesses of veneer, and adetachable bottom provided with o posite hanger portions havingtriangular iaps or engaging portions inserted between the plies orthicknesses of the veneer of the body.

8. A box including a veneer body having walls composed of a plurality ofplies or thicknesses of veneer, and a detachable top provided withopposite portions inserted between the plies or thicknesses of the body.

9. A box including a veneer body having walls composed of a plurality ofplies or thicknesses of veneer, and a ioldable top separate from thebody and provided with opposite body-engaging portions or flapsdetachably inserted between the plies or thicknesses of the body.

10. A box including a veneer body having walls composed of a pluralityof plies or thicknesses of veneer, and a foldable top separate from thebody and consisting of a smgle strip or sheet of veneer having itsterminals inserted between the plies or thicknesses of the body.

11. A box including a veneerbody having walls composed of a plurality ofplies or thicknesses of veneer, and a foldable top separate from thebody and consisting of a single strip of veneer scored transversely toform end flaps, the latter being triangular and adapted to be insertedbetween the plies or thicknesses of the veneer of the body.

12. A collapsible or knock-down veneer box comprising a body scored atthe corners and having walls composed of a plurality of thicknesses orplies of veneer, a separate foldable bottom consisting of a strip ofveneer and provided with opposite sup orting or hanger portions havingterminal fi aps or engaging portions inserted between the plies orthicknesses of the veneer of the body, and a foldable top provided withopposite flaps or terminal portions adapted to be detachably insertedbetween the plies or thicknesses of the veneer of the body.

13. A collapsible or knock-down veneer box comprising a colla sible bodyhaving walls composed of two p ies or thicknesses of veneer, a separatedetachable bottom arranged Within the box and provided with oppositehanger or supporting portions formed integral with the bottom and extending upwardly therefrom and arranged against the adjacent inner walls ofthe box, said hanger or supporting portions being provided at the topwith flaps or engaging portions inserted between the said plies or thicknesses of the veneer from the top so that the bottom is suspended fromthe upper edges of the body.

14. A collapsible or knock-down veneer box comprising a veneer bodycomposed of a plurality of plies or thicknesses of veneer scored at thecorners of the body to permit the same to collapse or fold inwardly,fastening devices piercing the walls and connecting the plies orthicknesses of veneer, a separate detachable bottom having oppositehanger or supporting portions provided at the top with flaps or engagingportions arranged in pairs and inserted between the plies or thicknessesof" the veneer at the upper edges of the In testimony, that I claim theforegoing as body and straddling the said fastening (lemy own, I havehereto affixed my s1gnature vices, and a removable top provided with inthe presence of two wltnesses.

flaps or engaging portions inserted between ORIN C. FENLASON. the plies0r thicknesses of the body and er- Vhtnesses: ranged in pairs tostraddle the fastening cle- S. GEORGE TATE,

vices thereof. HOWARD D. ORR.

